Door check and closer.



A. J. ROSENTRETER.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER,

APPLICATION man JULY 29,1914.

1 1 92,000. Patented July 25, 1916.

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A. .l. ROSENTRETER.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER. APPLICATION FILED supv 29, (9x4.

Patented July 25, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE. i ALBERT'J'. ROSENTRETER, or nooN'roN, NEW JERSEY, Assreivon TO EDGAR ZABRISKIVE, or MAPLEWOOD, Nev/JERSEY, nn FRANK E. rrn'romns, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

DOOR CHECK AND CLOSER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 29, 1914. Serial No. 853,878.

ployed at the different floors of buildings for guarding the entrance to the elevator shaft or shafts and permitting, when opened, access to the elevator car or cars when arrested at the several floors of the building.-

These sliding doors are of various types, there being in some instances a stationary door or panelimitating a door with" one sliding door to be moved by the operator on the elevator car and in other instances such panel with two sliding doors arranged to telescope one on the other and to be operated by the hand of the elevator attendant and in other instances, the said panel representing a door, is in fact a door, and hinged so that it may be opened and fully expose the car, this latter class usually being employed in, connection with elevator cars designed to carry freight and in which use it is desirable that a nude opening be provided for the admission of desks and the like to the elevator car.

The main features of my invention will be applied to the sliding door or to the outer sliding door when :two such doors'are used,i

and comprise means enabling the attendant on the car to open the door or doors or slide the same to an open position and means for automatically closing the door or doors and checking the same on their closing movement so that the door or doors will positively close but without undue noise.

One of the purposes of my invention is to provide door checking and closingmechanisin which may be applied to sliding doors already installed and to new doors without regard, in general instances, to the construction of the building or that portion thereof adjacent to the elevator shaft.

Door checking and closing mechanisms for sliding doors are well-known, and it is rangement of the parts of the building ad- 7 jacent to the elevator shaft.

I present the preferred mechanism embodying my invention in this, application as applied to two doors, one being a sliding door and the other an imitation door, which is sometimes hinged so as to be occasionally used as a door, said mechanism being attached wholly to the doors or at one end to the sliding door and at the door end to the jamb of what may be said. to be a stationary imitation door, it being desirable at all times when the so-called imitation'door or panel is hinged so as to be used at times as a door, that one end of the closing means be directly connected with said door while the other end ofthe closing means is directly connected with the sliding door.

Myinvention comprises a pair of toggle levers in the form of two bars of substantially equal length pivoted together at their adjoining ends and at their outer, ends pivotally connected with the sliding door and door jamb of the imitation door or panel or to the sliding door and directly to thesocalled imitation'do or or panel when said door or panel is" hinged and capable of bclng opened from time to time as might possibly be required when freight is to be carried on the car, together With checking means con nected with one of said toggle levers and having features of construction and operation hereinafter explained whereby on the closing movement of the sliding door or doors, the said door or doors, more particularly near the end of such movement, shall be properly checked so as to close without creating undue noise.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a shdmg door and imitation of panel door for an elevator shaft equipped with door checking .and

closing means embodying my invention, this,

dotted line 4-41 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the dotted line 55 of Fig. 2 through the checking cylinder; and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the dotted line 66 of Fig. 2 through a portion of the checking cylinder and I illustrates in top view, partly broken away, a threaded socket for receiving the threaded stem at the lower end of the checking cylinder.

p In the drawings, referring to Figs. 1 to'6 inclusive, 10 designates a sliding door of usual type, and 11 a stationary imitation door or panel behind which in the usual course of practice the elevator operator stands, with. his right hand near thestarting and stopping devices of the elevator. The door 11 should correspond in appearance with the door 10, but is stationary untler usual conditions, although sometimes hinged at its right hand ed-ge, looking at Fig. 1, so that it may be opened and expose the full width of the elevator car to receive freight. Vhen the door 11 is an imitation The toggle levers 12, 13 r are of equal.

length, as usual, and at their adjoining pivoted together ends one of said levers is provided with a lateral pin 19 and the other with a receiving recess 20 as means for maintaining the adjoining ends of said levers horizontally when the door 10 is in its closed position. i

The door checking and closing mechanism comprises a carrying or base-plate 21 a pivotally mounted cylinder 22, a piston 23 therein, a piston-rod 24 encompassed by a coiled spring 25 and connected with said piston, and a casting or frame 26 which is secur'ed'by bolts 27 or the like to the outer end of the lever member 12 and carries an adjusting screw 28 and a nut 29 thereon, which nut is adjustable on the screw 28 and pivoted casting or frame 26 has in its lower side a chamber 33 Within which the body of the screw' 28 and the upper portion of the nut 29 are contained, the left hand wall of the chamber affording a bearing for the reduced left hand end of the screw 28 and the right hand wall 34 of said chamber containing a threaded aperture to receive a threaded bushing 35 whichaffords a bearing for the right hand end of the screw 28. The

threaded body of the screw 28 being of greater diameter than the right hand portion of said screw, I aperture the wall 3 1 and provide the bushing 35 so that the screw may be inserted endwise through the wall 34L and then supported and find a bearing in the bushing 35. The screw 28 has no traveling movement, but when rotated will cause the nut'29 to travel longitudinally thereon in one direction or the other in accordancewith the direction of movement of the screw. The purpose of adjusting the nut 29 is to regulate the force of the closing spring 25, as will be hereinafter explained.

The casting. or frame 26 is also formed with longitudinally extending cars 36 which are apertured to'receive the bolt 37, which bolt pivotally connects said casting or frame 26 with thebase-plate 21 and constitutes the pivotal point for the left hand end of said casting or frame 26 and lever member 12. Upon the bolt 27 between the ears 26 is loosely hung the upper reduced end or knuckle 38 of a lever 39, which below said knuckle 38 is wider than at the knuckle, as shown in Fig. 3. The ears 36 extend downwardly below the bolt 37 and form toes 10 against which the side portions of the inner face of the lever 39 have a free bearing.

The purpose of the lever 39 is to enable the operator on the elevator car to break the joint of the toggle levers 12, 13 and slide the door 10 toward and upon the door 11, and this maybe accomplished while the operator is standing with his right hand on the stopping and starting device of the car by a direct pull with his left hand against said lever 39, the pull on the lever 39 acting through the toes 40 to turn the casting or frame 36' and lever member 12 upwardly and then the continued pull on the lever 39 causing the door 10 to slide upon the door 11 and the toggle levers 12, 13 to buckle upwardly in the manner illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The lever 39 is a convenience to the elevator operator in opening the sliding door, but with less advantage it could be omittedand difleren t means provided for buckling the toggle levers 12, 13

upwardly to effect the opening of the door. 10 or the operator might take directhold of the toggle levers and push them upwardly at their adjoiningends and in that way effect the opening of the door 10. It is desirable however that a lever or handle of some sort be provided for the convenience formed integrally with a longitudinal screw 43 which projects downwardly on the center line of the cylinder and engages a threaded socket formed in a frame 44 which is pivotally secured to the base plate21 by means of a pin or bolt 45 and which frame in its upper portion contains the socket for the screw 43 and is split at said socket, as shown in Fig. 6, and provided with cars 46 and a screw 47 which extends freely through one of the ears and engages a thread in the other ear and is utilized for tightening the socket on the screw 43 or loosening said socket so as to permit of the convenient rotation of the screw 43 therein during the adjustment of the cylinder 22 for the purpose of modifying the checking action therein, as hereinafter explained. The upper end of the cylinder 22 is closed by a plug 48 through which the piston rod 24 passes and which is provided with a gland for preventing leakage around said rod; The plug 48 affords a bearing shoulder for the upper end of the spring 25 and is some what elongated so as to suitably direct the rod 24. The piston 23. is formed with an upwardly extending threaded annular sleeve which screws upon the lower end of the piston rod 24, and said piston is formed in its central portion with a vertical opening 49 through which a tapered pin 50 projects, said pin being secured in the bottom 42 of the cylinder member 41 and projecting through the piston 23 and into a chamber 51 formed in the lower end portion of the piston rod 24. The chamber 51 extends longitudinally of the rod 24 and at its upper end a port 52 is formed in the piston rod, said port placing the chamber 51 and main chamber of the cylinder into communication with each other. The piston 23 is provided with a restricted port 53 through it, and this port is controlled by a ball valve 54,

i said valve allowing liquid above the piston 23 to flow downwardly through the port 53 during the upward movement of said piston and'closing said port during the downward movement of said piston, the liquid below the piston then causing the ball Valve 54 to move upwardly against the lower end of the port 53. 7

During the upward movement of the piston 23 the space between the walls of the opening 49 and the surface of the tapered pin 50 becomes gradually enlarged and liquid flowing through the port 52 and into the chamber 51 may readily escape downwardly through the port 49 into the lower end of the cylinder below the piston 23, the purpose being not to create any checking action during the opening of the door. When the door is released to close under the action of the spring 25, the piston 23- will descend and as the port 49 travels downwardly on the tapered pin 50 said port becomes gradually more and more closed by said pin, and hence the escape of the liquid from below the piston through said port 49becomes more and more restricted with the result, especially when the door has about reached its closed position, that the port 49 becomes so nearly closed that the piston 23 is resisted on its descent and compels the door to complete its closing movement gently and without slamming. The port 49 constitutes a by-pass which is controlled by the stationary pin 50 and in the adjustment of the initial relation of the walls of the port 49 to the surface of the pin 50 so as to secure just the checking action desired, in accordance with the weight of the door and other circumstances, the cylinder 22 is screwed upwardly on downwardly, in accordance with the result desired, in the frame Vhen the cylinder 22 is turned in a direction to elevate it on the piston rod 24, the pin 50 becomes initially set higher up in the port 49 of the piston 23 and a stronger checking action will then be secured, because of the fact that the thicker portion of the pin 50 is carried into said port, and when the cylinder 22 is screwed downwardly on the piston rod 24, the pin 50 recedes from the port 49 and a thinner portion of said pin becomes initially located in the port 49, and hence the passage through said port on the closing action of the port is less restricted and a lighter checking action will ensue. It will thus be seen that the checking action may be modified at will by simply turning the cylinder 22 bodily on the frame and piston rod 24, and I regard this feature as of considerable importance in that the bypass and means for adjusting the same are wholly confined within the cylinder and therefore not subjected to leakage or requiring any packing or the like such as becomes necessary in the customary form of door check and closer employing a screw having an exposed head for manual operation in adjusting the by-pass to modify the checking action of the device. I also regard the solid lower endportion 41 of the cylinder as of importance since during the closing action of the door the piston 23 will squeeze the liquid downwardly against a solid and j ointless end section of the cylinder, leakage being thereby prevented and no other means for preventing leakage be ing required;

The door-closing force tobe exerted by the spring 25 to meet the requirements of doorsjvarying in size and weight, may be initially and at any time setand controlled by'thescrew 28- and nut 29. In Fig. 2 the nut 29 is shown at its extreme left hand position or as close to the pivotal point or bolt as it may be moved, and under this condition the initial stored power in the spring 25may-be utilized in 'eife'cting the closing of the doolj since at this tinre'the upper end of the piston rod is in near relation to the bolt 37. In adapting the door closing mechanism for a door requiring a stronger spring action than that which would be attained under the relation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, it is merely necessary to so turn the screw 28 that the nut 29 will travel to the right thereon the requisite distance, said nut when thus traveling on the screw drawing the upper end of the piston rod and upper end'of the cylinder with it and in creasing the distance between said rod and the pivotal point or bolt 37, with the result that'the stroke of the piston rod will be lengthened and increased compression of the spring created during the opening of the door. The cylinder 22 is mounted on the pivoted frame 44 and hence may swivel on the bolt or pivot during the adjustment of the nut 29 on the screw 28 to increase or decrease the force with which the spring 25 may act in closing a door. The nut 29 is pivotally connected with the piston rod and the relation of the upperend of that, rod to the main pivotal point or bolt 37 for the outer end of the toggle member 12 determines the length of stroke the piston rod shall have and consequently the degree of compression to which the spring shall be subjected during the opening movement of the door. V

The operation of the invention so far as the same has been described with respect to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive will be largely understood from the explanations hereinbefore presented, 7

E Q JQQQ zontal pull with his left hand against the handle orlever 39, thispullcausing the ad-. joining ends of the lever members 12, 13 to move upwardly, the piston rod 24 to be drawnupwardly, the spring 25 to become compressed and the door 10 to slide along sideof the door 11 and open the entrance to the car. When the operator releases his hold on the handle or lever 89, the spring 25 will, acting through the piston-rod 2a and lever-members 12, 13, automatically close the door 10, said door being checked in its closing movementby the means hereinbefore described.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v V

1. In a door'check and closer mechanism a checking cylinder having a solid lower end and containing a piston, plston rod and door closing spring and provided with a bypass for the checking fluid and means to control the checking action comprising a hole through the piston and an interior fixed tapered pin secured to the solid lower end of the cylinder and extending through said hole, said cylinder being adjustable lengthwise of the'piston rod to vary the relation of said pin to said hole and control the passage through said hole. 7

2. In a door check and closer mechanism, a checking cylinder containing a piston and piston rod, a door closing spring, lever means operatively connected with the outer end of said rod and pivoted at a fixed point, means pivotally securing said cylinder, and means for adjusting the outer end of said rod with relation to the pivot of said lever means for varying the stroke of the piston and the closing force of said spring, said adjusting means comprising a nut and a screw carried by said lever means and which also. serve as the means for pivotally connecting the piston rod with said lever means, the nut being on the screw and pivoted to said rod.

3. In a door check and closer mechanism, a checking cylinder pivotally mounted at one end and containing. apiston and a piston-rod, lever means operatively connected with the outer end of'said rod and pivoted at'a fixed point, a door closing spring, and means at the end of said cylinder for permitting the adjustment of said cylinder lengthwise of the piston rod to modify the cushioning action of the check, said means comprising a threadedstem and a threaded socket therefor, one of said. parts being nonrotary and the other rotary with said cyliuder.

4'. In a door check and closer mechanism, a checking cylinder pivotally mounted at one endand containing a piston and a piston rod, lever means operatively connected with the outer end of said rod and pivoted at a fixed point, a door closing spring, and a manually operative pivoted handle-lever New York and State of New York, this 28th alfso ogeragivelg connected ilvithdthe outelr1 end day of July, A. D. 1914. 0 sai r0 an immediate y a jacent t ereto and to said cylinder and also with said ALBERT ROSENTRETER' 5 lever means for moving said rod outwardly Witnesses:

in opposition to the force of said spring. J. R. FRITH,

Signed at New York city, in the county of CHAS. C. GILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

